Fastener



I all/DQ444 01;-

EEDREE A -FNNERMAN G. A. TINNERMAN FASTENER Aug. 10, 1943.

Filed March 25, 1940 Patented Aug. 10, 1943 FASTENER George. A. Tinnerman, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor I to Tinnerman Product a corporation of Ohio 5, Inc., Cleveland, .Ohio,

\ Application March 25, 1940, Serial No. 325,857

' Claims. (Cl. 85-32) This invention relates to improvements in various fastening installations for securing an object to a cooperating part by means of a connecting stud or equivalent screw threaded fastener which must necessarily or desirably project from said part at an angle other than substantially perpendicular-.tothe adjacent underface thereof, or

extend from a curved or other irregular shaped face of such part .in fastening position for the application of a cooperating securing deviceto the projecting portion of such connecting stud or the like.

The usual fastening installation in which the connecting stud, or the like, projects at substantial right angles to a part secured oifers no particular problem so long as the cooperating securing device, such as a spring nut or the like, may be applied directly to the projecting portion of the connecting stud to bear with generally equalized force on the surrounding area or adjacent face of the part secured or otherwise be disposed in substantially uniform bearing engagement with such part in a manner whereby the stud'engaging means of the spring nut is adapted for proper most eiTective fastening engagement with the connecting stud. However, if an object is to be a secured to a curved surface or inclined part, for example, the connecting studs in many instances. cannot'usually be designed for the most effective fastening. installation in such a manner as to passthrough openings in such a curved or inclined part and also project substantially at right angles to the adjacent face thereof. This, of course, is the situation whenever the object is to be secured to a sheet metal part, for example, having a pronounced curvature and in which the rearward face of such part also is curved when shaped to correspond to the curvature of the object secured thereto or otherwise, is of an uneven, inclined or other irregular shaped contour. Accordingly, the cooperating spring nut securing device employed must be of such nature as to bear firmly and rigidly upon such curved, uneven, inclined or irregular shaped rearward face in a manner whereby the stud engaging means of the securing device is capable of equal uniform engagement with the connecting stud inwhatever position it may be disposed in providing an effective, reliable fastening installation in which the parts secured are not subject to loosening or removal incident tovibration and severe jarring effects such as take place in the operation of an automobile,

for example.

By way of further example or the purpose and utility of the fastening means of the-present invention, the article or object to be secured may be prepared in the manner of a casting or molded plastic part provided with integral connecting studs, the object being curved however, or having its underside of curved orother irregular contour corresponding to the surface of the partto which it is to be secured to seat fi-rmly and rigidly thereon in attached position. In such a, casting or molded plastic part, the object may, of course, be provided of any desired configuration but in order that the same may be removed from the mold form in any practical way after completion, the connecting studs must all extend in the same general direction in a manner whereby such connecting studs will not lock in the mold form and prevent the completed object from being removed therefromafter the molding operation.

For this reason, among others, it will be understood that though the connecting studs for the plastic object, casting, or the like, are provided to extend in the same general direction, said con-' necting studs project at varying angles to the underside of such object; consequently, when l such connecting studs are passed-through openings in the part to which the object is to be'secured, a number of said connecting studs will project at decided angles to the adjacent rearward face of such part. Due to suchan'gular disposition of the connecting studs, the simplest form of spring nut securing device applied directly at substantial right angles tothe axis of the connecting stud cannot be employed satisfactorily, .since in its final applied position, the spring nut willnot have suitable uniform bearing engagement with the adjacent face of the part secured, wherefore the stud engagingmeansthereof are notadapted to engage the connecting studin the most eiiective manner and a faulty fastening installation results.

tions of this type are quite apparent from the The problems involved in fastening installaforegoing, and therefore, a primary object of-the present invention contemplates the provision of various improved forms of securing devices constructed in accordance with principles and teachings of the instant disclosure to provide simple, inexpensive, for securing such 'installatlonsin a most practical and reliable manner such that the secured 'mem-' bers are not subject is loosening or displacement under extreme conditions of vibratory motion or the like. v v Another object of theinvention is to provide varioussecurlng arrangements for. installations wherein a connecting stud or equivalent threaded and easily and quickly applied means' fastener extends. from a curved surface of a. seings and principles of the securing devices herecured part or has a decided angular disposition in disclosed are equally adaptable to a wide range with respect thereto, as aforesaid, and such in-' and variety of other installations, Fig. 1 is installations embodying improved forms of securing tended to illustrate the general organization of devices which are of such character as to c'om- 5 a trim strip installation or mounting of a finishpensate for such curved surface or for such ing object onto a generally curved supporting sid s eee qta e. w t respectntheltet' anrill-r 1 1 i a. n1 the stud with the highest degree of effectiveness possible under such conditions.

A further object of the invention is for the p ovision of such securing means in the manneraof simple, one-piece, sheet rnetal devices-whic are cheap and inexpensive to p 6 11 em the area of the sheet metal part a m1; S! g q casing an automobileheadlightfforeiiainp The finishing object or other article to be secured is designated generally 0 and may be proided in the manner of a plastic molding, metalof any other material used in y I ice in many industries. In the selves to economical quantity production in that I II I Tsaid object is shown provided they may be produced at relatively low cost from I I as ce rticle including integral connectsheet metal strip stock with lit'tle or no loss or- -ing:'studs-l-,-1 extending in the same general diwaste of material. I rection from the underside of said object which I Arnore specific object of the invention corn ""is of'cur ved contour corresponding substantially templates generallytheprovision ofvariouslfas- '1'130" the-upper 'faceacurvature of;.- said-;,part rP in j tening installations r r see 'ing angobject. to' a I aorderstogseatfirmly, andrigidlythereon Irnthis cooperating part by connecting studs or equiva- 1relation, the spaced connecting studs l j are lent screw threaded fasteners which extend in I 'ceived incorrespondinglyspaced openings insaid other than perpendicular relation to-"the adjaf1 part P and,project-therefromlatdiijferentgangles cured and embodying one iece sheet-metal se-- cent face of the part to which th'e 'object is se- 1130 the-adjacentunderface thereofland otherthan 'substantially perpendicular thereto. A S previcuring devices having the new-and improved 'ii -ouslygpointedout-theconnectinge st ds i, ;,g,jin

" features of construction which provide the' most i .'arr-installationof'thischaractenassume such po- I ers in any such relation.

effective securing action with-the connecting i sition due-rto'the factthat-said connecting-studs studs; bolts, screws, rivets, or similar stud fastenareprovided, on the objecttoextendin. the;same

general direction in a manner whereby (such-inte- Another specific object of the invention comgral connecting studs, as formed -on ,thecom- 'prehends. such fastening 'installations in which *pleted object-will notlock the object in the moId the. object is securedito apart having fa; 'curved form and otherwise prevent the sameirombelng underface and with thejcooperating securin'g de- -easily .and-qulckly removedtherefrorn after the v effective fastening engagement with a connect; I tlon.

' f anduseful features in the construction, arrangement and general combination of parts of the invention will be readily apparentto those skilled vice of h m e adapted to compensate for jzmoldingsoperation. I I1 such curved underfac'e and proviclejthe most Lconnecting stud ,:i,=-Fig.

how :as xtending from theLadj8iCBDtTifQQQkQf1p l .P, at .a relatively small differencev of angle 11mm; P 0 pendicular, and'in such; cases the securing-device s best tprovided for most 5 ieconomica1;- -quantity ing stud or screw threaded fastener in this rela- .5; Z

] Further objects and advantages'and other new Ueshaiaedtsheet ;-.metal ;memberi l= i prising 'a;;pai'r,;ofz spaced arms 1 lg,

in the art as a description thereof proceeds with 451 H insuch-,arsecuringdevice is preferably1ia subreference to the accompanying drawing, for'purfistantiallyz flatz section; provided, with a; suitable stuclsfj or the like, together with improved-forms cation and use of the securing'device shown in i Fig. 5.

' that the invention is not limited thereby in an? form of :clutch meansorjstudzengaginga caps 15 adaptedz for fastening,enga ement with he eonparts throughout the 'same, -andin}which: nectingestu'd; or;-afor-=threadedlygengaging3 an Fig. l-is an illustrationof one-jap ncanon of 5 ei ui'valentsform of threadedjastener whichmay the present invention an'd -showing in vertical Icrrbezemployedjin .a.simllar-;relation gh 12 section a generally curve supporting part and is" N-inauguan object secured thereto*by"integral'connecting like I formed ini the manner 0: --a, bearing an on;havof securing devices constructed accordance *in'gwa: contourzriconiorming.substantially,to the withthelnvention; "general 'contourrofvthe adiac ntdaqfize maif P on: :is: r otherwise construct d Fig. 2 is a perspective vieviiof-thsediirin' deown employed at theleft'dffFig. 1; ngid;-: bearing.=iengaze en it is si, ca a perspectivefof thes 'urin" evice manner m'suppormthegarrn m-planqsubemployed at tiie right of'Fi 'stantiallytati rightz-anglestq he o n-g "'4fis a-vertical sectional views fitheiconnectinglstudaz fil bstas le lf ent o'f the invention fi preierrediiformaofsl ch Adi-@ 8 employd'fin another embodiment of the invention in which the supportingpart is of generally curvedf'conflguration; and, I

Fig. 6 is a sectional view illustrating one appliesigned forruseiw stud, rivet, or the: like, said tongues are best 7b providedmto extend slightly out of themlane of Referring now, more particularly, to the draw- -"thearm H with their extremities spacedeapart ing, Fig. I is given as an illustration only of one a distance slightly less than the diameteno! the application of the invention, it being understood 3 connecting stud. -"I'he most eifective'cbiting ac- 1 tion of the tongues lwiththe associatedgconnectmanner or form inasmuch as the general tcachin: stud is obtained when the tongue extremi- ,.production inw zthejv;manner. 01; a g era ly normal to the longitudinal axis of the connect It will be understood that though the opening between the extremities of the tongues I5 is slightly less than the. diameter of the connecting stud, when the stud is applied through the opening in one direction, said tongues will flex outwardly to permit the ready passage of the stud to final applied fastening position, whereupon the extremities of said tongues, being relatively sharp, are adapted to bite or clutch the connectto the longitudinal axis of the connecting stud in whatever angular disposition the stud may have with respect to said underface of part P. This is accomplished, as stated, by providing the bearing arm I2 of a contour corresponding substantially to the contour of the adjacent under-' face of part P to bear firmly and rigidlythereon or otherwise designing said arm to bear with generally equalized force on said part in maining stud to prevent reverse axial movement or other relative movement of the connecting stud with respect thereto from such applied fastening position. In one form, the said tongues I5 are slightly inclined out of the plane of the adjacent metal body to facilitate the initial insertion of the connecting stud through the opening therebetween to spread said tongues as necessary and cause the same to assume opposing inclined positions in which the tongue extremities bite into the connecting stud in frictional gripping relation therewith. In another form, said. tongues may be provided to lie substantially in the general plane of the adjacent metal body whereupon the insertion of the connecting stud will cause the same to flex outwardly to opposing inclined positions in which the tongue extremities bite intothe connecting stud in a similar manner.

Preferably said tongues I5 are notched at their extremities to provide sharp jaws adapted to cut deeply into a connecting stud under tension to provide a positive locking effect therewith in applied fastening position such that any movement toward withdrawal of the connecting stud will be tenaciously resisted by the tensioned tongues due to their inclined positions in a direction opposed to the reverse axial movement of the connecting stud from such applied fastening position. In effect, any outward pull on the object to remove the connecting stud from engagement with the tensioned tongues causes such jaw to out still deeper into the root of the connecting stud and provide an even more positive locking action therewith.

As best seen in Fig. 2, in'the securing device thus provided, the opening I3 in arm I2 is' enlarged and in' suitable alignment with the opening between the tongues I5 carried by arm Said opening I3 is preferably enlarged to provide any clearance necessary to compensate for possible unforseen variations in the disposition of the connecting stud and otherwise permit quick and easy insertion of the connecting stud through said opening I3 to fastening engagement .with said stud eng ng tongues I5. In this relation, the most effective fastening engagement is obtained, as stated, when the tongue extremities are adapted for substantially equal, uniform biting engagement with the connecting stud at generally diametrically opposed points or at points lying in a substantial plane approximately at right angles to the longitudinal axis thereof; and, in order to ensure this desired fastening engagement, the bearing arm I2 of the device is designed in accordance with the contour of the adjacent underface of the part P on which it bears in order to maintain or otherwise dispose the cooperating arm II, carrying the stud engaging tongues I5, on an approximately normal plane and end portion 25 are taining the arm II of the securing device in suitable spaced relation to the adjacent underface of said part P in the desired position for most effective fastening engagement of the tongues I5 with the connecting stud, as aforesaid.

Fig. 3 shows another form of securing device constructed in accordance with the present inyention which is similar'in applicationand use to that described with reference to Fig. 2, but is more advantageously employed where the connecting stud has a greater angular disposition with respect to the adjacent underface of the supporting part. Thus, as illustrated in Fig. 1, the angular disposition of stud 2 with respect to the adjacent underface of part P is such that a securing device of the type shown in Fig. 3 will provide a most effective fastening installation embodying'a sheet metal fastener even though a difiicult angle is involved and the installation must be carried out in close quarters. The segaging means, such as tongues I5 similar to those described in Fig.2, and a bearing arm 22 provided with an enlarged opening 23 in alignment with said tongues, these arms 2|, 22, being rigidly supported by the intermediate connecting section 24 in the desired form of the securing device. Said arm 2| may include an end portion 25 in line with the general path of bearing arm 22 to cooperate therewith in enhancing the effectiveness of the installation as a whole by increasing the rigidity of the sheet metal securing device in applied fastening position with the connecting stud.

Accordingly, in the completed installation of Fig. 1 embodying such a securing device 20, it will be understood that the securing device is applied substantially in the manner described with reference to Fig. 2 with the connecting stud 2 passing through opening 23 in arm 22 to the position at which the similar form of stud engaging tongues' I5 on arm 2| engage the connecting stud in the most effective manner, as aforesaid. To this end, the bearing portions of the securing device comprising bearing arm 22 designed in accordance with the contour of the adjacent underface of part P in order to maintain or otherwise dispose the arm 2| carrying the stud engaging tongues I I5 on a plane approximately normal to the axis of .the associated connecting'stud 2. This arrangement is best provided by forming the hearing arm 22 and end portion 25 to lie in a path, having a contourconforming substantially to the relagzin, as aforesaid, said tongues l5 are adapted seamed the connecting stud with respect thereto. tA ti, e fastenin ergo. ement ith In he present illustration, an equivalent structgyit he a p tiiiir --bl f8uhrig %tviees i 6n eitli'er biderofiisaidfiogimiosdiithfi .,m ei it. g rg the -"slijt in jaifse'ti or thei securiiig' idevite oomnrisin iitheiside error. are grjrned tdipirgvi f ;e befirgi giportibfis bf bridge portions ll are bent into bearing arrngpo the d n 'rg t tet igijtlie; o itoi iofithe W tior'is togethei t'withithb ondmriiansiimee sume adi gegg derii i jfi i ft he f siipp'eiting p I a generallyiconcaveiconfigurationrcorrespond ng ul' ""dis 'positi onwiith sub'stail tiallyotortheoc'on'tourihfetberndfiaeem f tjgj 'seefiredi I derfaceioiepartflidzofbearlfirmlyiahd rigidly ther -llri t'rateva'lso anfl f n,'as showniiirif iglifiriotsaidetong l i as if! naps b extend -directlyetroirrcsaidsbaseiin itheedirection lrfp P' alonglines a generallyoppositeitoxtherigeneral concave IQOIk figuratiori' there'oi andiiareithereby; supp rted by .--,;gsaid base oi the sec'ur ingtdevicecinit-he, position for; 3 maintaining the it'onguewextremities in "uniform threaded: e'rigagementiftvith itheithreadeda fastener; h F p H w 6 Et atimes?fi afolsflid;a'iiACCQIdlBElYithed t uringdev'ice 0 may als a L or screw fi maysbe tightened itoianvqpracticalade ia jjsimplej inexpensive se tion of gree-as inayFb'e necessary/without danger of col- Q ent o,"the" ger eraloniiguration a lapse or disto'rtionloi said tonguesplS'; or othershown 'toj ,elude"aniarrnfll:"prcvidedwith thfs wisediminishing the effectiveness rof the tongue selected: Iorm'joi. stud engagingfineans suchas extremitiesinuniformthreade'dengagement with tonguesifil5; andjacooperating hearing arm 32 off the threadedfasteneriintheifinal applied position suchycharacterfas tofmaintaini or dispose said'f thereof securing':thekppartsh; B,=;in aicompleted arm, 3 I one plane approximately'normal tothe' installation. Likewise, in the event a. rivet or an axis" Ofjstlld ,3, thereby ensuring the mos tef 39 integral connecting vstudonpart A I was em- Iective ,iasteningjaction off said tongues li withi ployed iii-the"placeiorthebolt 6, theextremities theiconne'ctinggstlid in"'substantially"equal;i ni -of sa'id' tongues i l5!'--wou1d; be isupportedin the iorr'n bitingf enga nientjtherew'ith; substantially desired po'sition foi equal' uniiorm biting engagewith reference'to jfigjl In-orde1jj'* mentfwith 'such connectingvstudat'substantially: v the rigidity of the fastening device-in diametrically pposed;points onj-ati-pointslyingin a 'plane at 'substantial'.-right-angles to longi- V *tudinal axis thereotiin providing theemost efiec tive iasteniiig instalia'tionsx if this (character; rsub stantiallyas describedmitlgnreference to the forms; of the invention lillustratedoinsliligs: 11-14:. inclusive. L Klthoughithe'securintdevicesiotthe present in vention are showna-ascconstructed 101: -;one-p1 sections of relativelyrthin isheet metal preierably e4 spring steelzoand'provided mitlnintegral',tyieldable 5 p3,; W substantial tongues struck andlormedztherefrom faste I y a u '-ln e W H it"is fully' intendedria'swithin -thescoperoii thischaracter liown iri Fig' 5which"is"espei'al1y invention that'i1 the'I i SEO11I1ng devices he; gon adapted f or firm, rigid bearing gngagg r gnt with structed-fro'man-ye other suitablezsheetLmetalmae thegenerallyfeuryedu derfae 'ofth su o ting terial such as cold rolled metal; andethe like, and partB tofwhichpartAissecured by'abolt or screw provided with various other-equivalent forms of threaded 'ias'tener 6, although. a rivet or other stud enga in meensv The invention also comthreadless connecting stud integrally provided on p e en s t e u e of co cti studs of y dethe part A may be employed, if desired, in any sired cross section and,"if expedient or desirable, related form of installation. The securing device provided-with e s. t n -s, o es. etc, 40, Fig. 5, is constructed from a small, inexpen- Cooperating with the d engaging eans of the sive section of sheet metal with the stud engag- Securing device a manner te din to resist ing tongues l5 provided from the body 1 t withdrawal of a connecting stud and preventing sheet metal section being similar to those or the ov of n i e s cu d to a upp ti previously described forms of the invention ex- P t i pp fastening Position,

cept that the extremities of said tongues are so so It Wi be quite readily recognized that the sevshaped as to lie on a helix corresponding to the m forms of securing devices 0 t p esent inthread of the threaded fastener for most efiec- Vention areinexpensiversimple,dureb1e,1ight-intive' uniform, threaded engagement therewith. weight, and easily and quickly ap o te In this relation, the body of said securing device 111g position by reason of he cooperating yieldi of h nature as t bear t generally equalable friction, tongue elements thereof which, ized force on the adjacent underface of the part initially, Present Substantial Socket Opening f secured or otherwise bear upon the same in a readily receiving the Stud, and s q y fl manner whereby the tongues IE will be suitably to permit the connectin Stud to be advanced supported in t position necessary f ensuring axially to home position with the extremities of such uniform threaded engagement of the tongue said tongues disposed i equal and uniform biting extremities with the threaded fastener. In the eng gem nt W th a hreadless connecting stud previous forms of the invention, a separate and or in uniform threaded engagement with a distinct arm member forms the bearing portion threaded fastener in securing an installation in which is provided in accordance with the contour the most effective manner. The yieldable action of the adjacent supporting part and the disposi-' of the tongues allows them to serve substantially as spring tongues in which relation they are adapted for use with connecting studs of differentdiameters and various cross-sections in addition to providing a substantially positive locked mounting of an object in assembled relation on a supporting part.

While the invention has been described in detail with specific examples, such examples are intended asillustrations only,- since it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other modifications in the construction, arrangement and general" combination of parts thereof-may be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The present embodi- *ments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrativeand not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description,

will all changes falling within the scope, meaning and range of equivalency of the claims intended to be embraced'therein.

Reference is made to my divisional application,

Serial No. 470,548, filed December 30, 1942, for

claims on the structure shown in Figs. 5 and 6,

What is claimed is: 1. A fastener for a stud projecting from a article to be secured through a supporting member comprising a single piece of sheet material bent to provide an arm engaging the inner surface of the support and a second arm integrally connected with the first arm and spaced inwardly therefrom and at an acute angle thereto, the first arm which engages the support being spaced from the stud to allow its free passage beyond the arm and the second arm having stud-engag ing means coacting with said stud. 2. A fastener for a stud projecting from an article to be secured through a supporting member comprising a single pieceof sheet material bent toprovide an arm engaging the inner surface of the support and a-second arm integrally connected with the first arm and spaced inwardlytherefrom, said two arms being at an about an opening through it and adapted to coact with a stud passing through the first opening.

4. A fastener made of a single piece of sheet metal having three arms connected in series, one

extreme arm having an opening through it for the passage of a stud, the intermediate armleading from the end of said extreme arm at an acute angle thereto and the third arm leading from the other end of the intermediate arm at an angle to it into a region adjacent the free end of the first arm, the last mentioned arm having an opening and stud-engaging means about the opening adapted to coact with a stud passing through the openings of the first and third arms. 5. A fastening device made of a single strip of metal and having an arm with an opening through it and stud-engaging means deformed from said arm about the opening a second arm leading from one end of the first arm at an angle thereto and two extensions leading from the free ends of said two arms, each extension being at an angle to the arm carrying it and the two lying in substantially the same plane.

-- GEORGE A: TINNERMAN. 

